Liam Brandish
Real Name: Ángel Terrassa Sharer of Lord Hauser's Men, Playwright, Heir to House Terrassa, Dragonblood. Born 18th of Ishmorn, 1182. Age: '''36 years old. '''Affiliations: Lord Hauser's Men, The Purge, Sir Ibarra of the Dragon Knights, Vivexian Inquisitors. Physical Description Ángel does not possess striking physical beauty, but it could be said that he has enough charms to turn the heads of three to four out of ten ladies. He is of average height and has a body structure that looks to have been muscular some point in the past. Most of his other physical characteristics reflect his mixed descent: he has darker skin than most in Bastion but not as dark as the typical Vivexian, and he got his father's hair color and the shape of the nose, which is typical of the citizens of Bastion. His eyes though bear the unmistakable green of the Vivexian Imperial Family. He is not very particular with his wardrobe, but due to his profession and the recent success that his playing company, he understands the need to dress up. And when he does, he is very meticulous and spends almost as much as he does on his costumes, using high-quality fabrics and accessories. Personality When in company of others, Ángel shows his fun-loving side and his penchant for he theatrics. He uses his wit and humor to elicit laughter from his audience, using his extensive knowledge in literature as well as his uncanny ability to make things up on the fly. One particular favorite of his is telling tall tales about his supposed adventures when he was younger, which most of his usual conversation partners would notice a particular story to be different each time it is told. It can also be said that while Ángel is not so formidable when it comes to attracting members of the opposite sex by relying on his looks alone, when he opens his mouth and starts talking, there is hardly any lady in Bastion who will not end up in his bed by the end of the day, should he choose it. Ángel's jovial attitude strikes other people as him being irresponsible and immature, coupled with the fact that he is very rarely able to find himself passionate about doing something. But when it comes to matters that he does have passion about, like playing in the theatre, he is very serious, perfectionist even. Another special characteristic of Ángel is his deep care and concern towards his friends, especially the members of the company. He cares for his friends so much that it can be said that the only way to pick a fight with him is to pick a fight with his friends. Alone, Ángel is very contemplative and often reflects on his past. Perhaps it is the reason he prefers the company of others, but he also uses it as something useful and channels it into his writing. Recently, with Lord Hauser inviting him into The Purge and his discovery that his wife and daughter are still alive, he is distracted emotionally and mentally and is therefore currently suffering a severe case of writer's block. While not reading books and scripts or writing (nor flirting with the ladies and/or drinking with friends for that matter, and more recently, going on late-night adventures for The Purge), Ángel spends his time learning how to sew. Most of the company's expenditures goes to buying/commissioning for new costumes for their plays, and Ángel, being the stingy fellow that he is, likes to cut down on every expenditure possible. Though in this endeavor, he doesn't seem to be making much progress. In fact, it is actually costing him more, what with all the wasted material he puts into his practising, but he does not want to admit it. Because he's hard-headed like that, too. History Ángel Terrassa was born to Sir Alastair, a knight from Bastion, and Lady Primera, daughter and heir to House Terrassa. Since he was young, Ángel had shown signs of being a genius. But as he grew up, his genius and charisma was instead used in staging elaborate pranks and other works of mischief. As a boy, he would make his playmates cry by telling them false stories about how they would become this and that if they did this or that. And when he was older, he would make girls cry after wooing them and them leaving them the instant he met another girl to his liking. After getting caught making fools out of the local Imperial Army detachment, his father finally could not put up anymore and placed Ángel into military school. There he met Helena, fair maiden and the best warrior there was. After changing himself and becoming the man worthy of standing toe to toe with her, they fell in love. They graduated and were immediately sent to the battlefield, and after that, went home and got married. A year after, a daughter was born to them, whom they named Sofia. But only a few days after she was born, Ángel was brought back to the frontlines. What was supposed to be a routine escort mission quickly turned south, and Ángel saw himself fighting demons and men for his life. In his desperation, he unleashed his hidden power, and decimated the entire enemy force with his bare hands and what seemed to be magical fire before collapsing unconscious. When he came to, he hurried home, fearing that they might report him as dead. When he reached Terrassa, he saw his home burning in the distance. He ran towards it, but mysterious men suddenly assaulted him. In his anger, he channeled the power he had unleashed days before and quickly took care of the assailants. Reaching the manor, he found his parents dead among bodies of dead Imperial soldiers, and his wife and daughter missing. Ángel went to the nearest Imperial Army outpost to search for answers, but was immediately met with hostility. He was called a traitor, and that he should die. Ángel could only turn and flee. Everywhere he went, when people recognized him, they immediately fled and sent for the Army. It was during that time that a certain Sir Ibarra came and found him. He introduced himself as a Dragon Knight, and told him the cause of all that has happened to Ángel, from the secrets of the Imperial Family and their paranoia, leading to purges of people who possessed the power of dragons, like Ángel. Sir Ibarra told the young Terrassa he had no choice but to flee Vivexia and wait for news from him regarding the whereabouts of his family. Following the Knight's advice, Ángel fled Vivexia after staging his fake death and wandered through foreign lands in secrecy. He maintained correspondence with Sir Ibarra regarding the search for his family, and waited. It was when he reached the borders of Bastion that he received the news that his family might already be dead. Devastated, he tried to take his life by hanging himself from a tree, only to be saved by a passing group of men. The group of men happened to be players, and one of them chastised Ángel and told him to watch their play first before deciding if he still wanted to take his life. Moved by the play's story and the actors' passion, Ángel knelt before them and asked if he could be part of their group. He wanted to be as they were to him, to be able to move people. He introduced himself as Liam Brandish, and he became the fifth member of the playing group who called themselves The Wandering Men. The Wandering Men toured small villages and performed mostly pieces from famous playwrights. Ángel, or Liam, with his talent in making up stories, redid some of the plays into versions he said would cater better to their audience, and after giving them a try, the reception was overwhelming. The result was growing fame and more members joining. This also gave a boost to Liam's confidence as a writer and soon he was writing whole original plays. In a small village in the Duchy of Stafford, the group finally decided to give one of Liam's works. It was a success. Furthermore, among the audience was the Duke of Stafford himself. He invited them over for dinner and offered to be the group's patron. Of course, they agreed, and it was then that The Wandering Men became Lord Hauser's Men, in honor of their patron, Lord Hauser Duke of Stafford. Lord Hauser's Men performed in larger towns and in Lord Hauser's manor when he had visitors. In the summer of 1120, the Duke decided to bring the company to Bastion. He held a small party and invited a couple of nobles, and Lord Hauser's Men did a performance as main entertainment. With a positive response, the Duke decided the group was ready to break into the theatre scene in Bastion. It happened in the spring of 1121, with Lord Hauser's Men playing for the first time at the renowned Gilded Circle Theatre. The group was met with overwhelming response and has then become a major force among the city's playing companies, with Liam Brandish emerging as an up and coming star player and playwright. But with all the success of the company, all was not to be good news for Liam Brandish. One day, Lord Hauser invited him alone in his manor. He then began to tell Liam who he really was, how he was involved with a secret organization called the Purge, what they did, and how he knew of Sir Ibarra. The Dragon Knight apparently asked for his help in watching over Liam, or Ángel, should he see him. He told him he also knew of his powers, and that he would like to have Liam assist the Purge. Reluctantly, Liam agreed. And the ghosts of his past did not stop haunting him there. One night, a group of men followed him and revealed themselves to be Vivexian Inquisitors. They revealed to him that they have Liam's wife and daughter, and that they were the ones who killed his parents years ago. In exchange for the safety of his family, they wanted Liam to work for them. They said they would contact him when they would need him and left. Liam knelt there, crying in a dark side street somewhere in Bastion. Advantages Charisma III 9 – High Social. Ángel is naturally-gifted with raw charisma. He has a way with words and knows which ones to use when, and he uses this liberally to get his way with people. Cunning I 5 – All Ranges, Mid Utility. Ángel is able to react to situations fast and is good at finding use for anything he sees around him to his advantage. Dragonblood – Born of the Vivexian Royal lineage through his mother, Ángel is one of the few to be able to fully manifest their bloodline's draconic abilities. This is because his father happened to be descended from the lineage of the Host. Since it was the reason he was driven away from his homeland, he despises it and relies only on it when he is in the most dire of circumstances. : Dragon Skin I 3 – Common Resistance. Ángel possesses the characteristic toughness of dragons, and is harder to bring down than he looks. : Dragon Resistance I 3 – Common Resistance. Dragons were said to be creatures of magic and so were highly resistant to it, something Ángel also possesses. Education I 1 – Low Utility. Being of noble birth and the sole heir to the House of Terrassa, Ángel has received fine education in his youth. Expert: Literature III 3 – Low Utility. Ángel is considered an expert in literature, it being his topic of foremost interest. Expert: History and Nobility II 2 – Low Utility. During his early days of being a playwright, he learned that plays about royalty are very much in vogue, and so he made it his business to know the whos and the whats of Bastion Royalty and Nobility, as well as those of the neighboring nations. Especially gossips. Intelligence III 6 – Low Utility, Low Social. Ángel is considered a genius, and quickly learns something if he puts his mind into it. IF he puts his mind into it (though he does make most use of it when playing and writing). Knight I 5 – All Ranges, Mid Utility. Ángel received military training to become a knight under the Imperial Army. After all those years though, most of his physical prowess is lost, and what is left is the ghost of it that he employs in their plays featuring battle scenes. Works *Chronicles Related Story Elements *Dragonblood *Lord Hauser's Men *The Purge